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1. FC Köln: Works coach Baumgart new defense formation?

Copyright: imago images / Revierfoto

Again two goals conceded against Union Berlin on November 7th in the Rhein-Energie-Stadion: At the back of the Steffen Baumgart’s boys the shop has just not been closed so far.

After eleven match days in the Bundesliga, 1. FC Köln have never played to zero this season – the last time it was in 1992/93. A reason for coach Steffen Baumgart to change the defense?

by Klemens Hempel (kmh) | Jürgen Kemper


Cologne. 1. FC Köln has never been able to keep its own box clean in the league this season. Eleven games – always at least one goal conceded. Steffen Baumgarts (49) boys are reminiscent of an FC legend: The last time it took until the first game was zero was 1992/93 – there is still goalkeeper icon Bodo Illgner (54) between the posts!

Had to do it 20 times Timo Horn (28) is already behind him: only long-term crisis club Hertha BSC (24) and promoted Greuther Fürth (29) have received even more hits. Does a system change help?

1. FC Köln only in the DFB Cup without conceding a goal

“Live with the fact that mistakes are made”, said Baumgart last at the press conference after the 2-2 draw against Union Berlin, among other things, Rafael Czichos (31) had initiated the 1: 2 with his trip pass. The coach emphasizes again and again that mistakes are part of the development and that this is the right direction overall: “Two or three years ago, football looked different here – now it looks so everyone has fun watching.”

The risk that often went well in the first games of the season – also due to the poor quality of the opponents – recently ended in eleven goals conceded from four league games since mid-October. The only exception: the 2-0 in the cup in Stuttgart.

1. FC Köln: Successful triple chain experiment

Coach Baumgart will not have missed any of this. In the test match on Wednesday (November 10, 2021) against his ex-club Paderborn Feld, he performed a surprising experiment: a chain of three!

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Kingsley Ehizibue (26), Jorge Meré (24) and one half each Rafael Czichos and Luca Kilian (22) held tight at the back. Against the third-best attack in the 2nd Bundesliga, the score was zero – the 4-0 was well deserved for the FC even in terms of height.

Steffen Baumgart: Triple chain “can be an alternative”

“The chain of three worked very well relatively quickly and without any transition. That wasn’t to be expected, ”said Baumgart after the party. This could make the new defensive formation a serious option to finally keep the box clean and stop the tide of goals conceded.

Baumgart continues: “I think we have seen that there can be an alternative with the guys we have in the back.”

Legends among themselves: Bodo Illgner greets the new FC billy goat Hennes VII on March 15, 1996.

Author: imago / Horstmüller

Legends among themselves: Long-time FC and DFB goalkeeper Bodo Illgner (right) with Hennes VII on March 15, 1996.

The team around Ikone Illgner once stopped their potholed run on matchday 13 against Bayer Leverkusen – this year, of all things, the derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach (November 27th) is rising. But at FC no one would mind if Die Weste against Mainz (November 21) was already one match day before Illgner – with or without a three-man chain.

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